Valiant
by CrazyCousinEiko
Summary: People said Lestrade is "valiant." He didn't know the meaning of the word until he found it in the most unexpected of places. Rated T for Trigger and swearing
1. The Girl With a Box, a Book, and

Hello, all! So! Exciting thing! I was just about to post this up to fanfiction when there was a massive blackout! DX Horrible, I know, but since I fell asleep early, it's the middle of the night and I can't sleep anymore, so I'm posting this! XD Took me forever to think of a name, though. Still not sure if it fits. Definitely not what I had in mind, but I may grow to like it. Tell me what you think in a review. ;)

Note: This is a sequel to "Superstitions," which I co-authored with bleedingcrimson, and a part of our series "Big City, Small World," which contain several interelating fics. "Superstitions" is posted on bleedingcrimson's account and is the first in the series. There are some important characters and events from that story that are alluded to or directly mentioned in this, so I would recommend reading it. However, for the first couple of chapters, you should be fine with this, and I will mention in the author's note when "Superstitions" will begin to play a larger role.

Also, this fic will contain several forms of trigger, so if you don't want to risk it, then please don't read. There are some topics that are mentioned here that have had direct influence on my life, and I feel compelled to write about them. If I ever mis-represent something, and it comes across as being offensive or just plain wrong, please tell me so I can correct my error. I want to be as realistic as I can to keep the integrity of this story and honor the real-life victims of some of these events. I would prefer no flames, but I will understand if you do for this particular fic.

This fic is dedicated to Sidney Sussex and Morgan Stuart for inspiring me with their incredible depictions of Lestrade (if you haven't read them, then you are missing out on some of the best writing you will find on this site), and to everyone who has suffered directly or indirectly from events like the ones that take place in this fic. Also, a shout-out to the wonderful bleedingcrimson for beta-ing this, writing the incredibly hilarious Pandora, and being an awesome friend (there's your sap for the year, Alin. Take it or leave it. :P)

The characters in this chapter all belong to me, but from then on, canon characters belong to ACD and BBC.

Thanks for reading that really long author's note! The rest of the beginning ones shouldn't be that long! XD Now, without further ado, here is:

**Chapter One: The Girl With a Box, a Book, and Brass Knuckles**

_September_

Terra Li walked onto the campus and stared up at all the buildings in awe. She had been here a few times already to get settled in, but that didn't make the sight any less overwhelming. So many new people, new classes... Terra Li stopped in her tracks, closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply to calm herself.

_You're going to be fine,_ she told herself. Unfortunately, she had halted in the middle of the walkway, and someone accidentally rammed into her from behind. Terra Li whirled around to see three tall, well-built upperclassmen glaring down at her.

"Sorry!" she apologized quickly. The guy in the middle -obviously the ringleader- stepped forward.

"Oi, watch where you're going, bint..." he snarled. After giving her a once over, though, he changed tactic. "So, uh, what's your name?"

It was obvious that he was patronizing her, but Terra Li chose to ignore it. Instead, she extended her hand, replying, "Valentine, T-"

"Valentine?" the male on her right sniggered. "Do you have a brother named Halloween?"

Terra Li felt an arm fold around her shoulders and tensed involuntarily but otherwise did not show her surprise. The person behind her faintly smelled of smoke. Out of the corner of her eye Terra Li saw what appeared to be a black and silver bracer around the stranger's forearm.

"Er- ah, no. It's a sister, buddy-boy. Get yer conjectures right the first time and per-haps I, ah, won't have'ta crush yer face in with my fist here." The voice, obviously female, was low and had been roughened with smoke, yet somehow it carried a strange smoothness as well. Terra Li looked up to see a small, heavily ringed fist make itself visible from behind the stranger's face, which was pulled into a fierce smirk as if she were looking forward to a fight.

"Were you three, ah, perhaps, makin' fun of my dear sister here?" the person challenged. Her tone was laid back, but her stance, the fierce look in her eyes, and that savage grin told the boys that the remark was a threat that this person had no problem of making good on.

"Eh, no. We weren't making fun of her at all," the jock to Terra Li's left quailed. The female behind Terra grinned even more, which made the boys recoil in fright.

"Now that's, ah, exactly what I was thinkin'. Now scram!"

After the guys left, Terra Li turned around to get a better look at her rescuer... if that's what she could be called. The girl was taller than she (most people were) and was dressed mostly in black. In addition to the bracers, she wore an overlarge black leather jacket with too many studs and zippers and metal accents to be strictly necessary; form-fitting black collared shirt that had two rows of buttons that slightly resembled a bellhop uniform; tight black skinny jeans; black combat boots; two black belts with studs that hung just so off her hips; and a sliver chain choker from which hung black feathers.

"Thank you," Terra Li said after a few seconds of awkward silence. Her voice was quiet and unexpectedly low, lending it a serene tone that could easily become cold if she wished. She was unsure if she should proceed to shake the stranger's hand and introduce herself, but seeing as this punk clothed girl had saved her from what could have escalated into a nasty situation, she decided to at least give the female her name. Once again extending her hand (albeit more hesitantly, this time), she murmured,

"My name's Terra Li Valentine. Yours?" The tone in her voice said that she'd really rather not go through this exchange, but the stranger grinned once more, though it was less feral than before and simply spoke of amusement rather than violence. The black-clad female chuckled, grabbing her hand and shaking it forcefully.

"I'm Pandora Doyle, and I have a box." Pandora's voice was less deliberately rough and had turned into a most ordinary accent, unlike that harsh Brooklyn one from before. Terra Li had met many strange people over the years, but she had never heard an introduction quite like Pandora's -however, at this point she was just about ready to expect anything from this strange person. With a name like that, Terra Li wondered what other awful (or perhaps wonderful, but probably not) surprises lay in store if she continued to become friends with her.

_Terra Li Valentine, she's obviously not quite right in the head,_ she told herself. However, the other, less sensible, half of her argued, _Yes, but odd people are always the most entertaining._

"Nice to meet you, Pandora. Pardon me, but I've no wish to be late to class. Have a pleasant day."

As she sprinted to class, Terra Li sighed_._ She pondered about such the odd person who had actually saved her from harassment._ Perhaps she's not so bad after all_. _Only time will tell, I suppose._

Behind her, Pandora said to herself, "Hn, I guess she didn't get it. And I had her pegged for a well-read girl, too. Ah well. You win some, and you lose some."

)o0*0o(

Terra Li was all too eager to get to lunch. Her first day hadn't been _bad_, per se, but it had been rather dull as the first day of school usually was. She found a nice, secluded spot under a shady tree and took out her lunch: tuna and biscuits, a juice box, and an apple. Simple, yet nutritious. She retrieved a well-worn volume from the depths of her book bag and perused its contents whilst eating. Suddenly, a figure plopped down casually next to her and began munching away on their lunch. Terra Li turned her head and nearly jumped at the sight of Pandora Doyle lounging only a foot away from her as if she had been there the entire time. The redhead wasn't sure whether to be happy or distressed at the young woman's reappearance. Pandora glanced at the words over Terra Li's shoulder.

"What're ya readin'?"

"_The Secret Garden_."

"_The Secret Garden_? Isn't that a kids' book?"

"Mum and Dad gave it to me when I was starting primary school, so I suppose so. It's a story about hurting people who think they're alone and don't realize how much they're loved until they find each other and strengthen one another." Terra Li chuckled under her breath. "I sound like a sap, don't I?"

"Eh. Saps aren't the, ah, worst people in the world," Pandora replied with a shrug. "Personally, I, ah, prefer mythology or dark classics, like Edgar Allen Poe."

"I liked 'The Tell-Tale Heart.'"

"His poem 'Annabelle Lee' is my favorite poem of his, but I like that story as well as 'The Fall of the House of Usher.' 'The Masque of the Red Death' is, however, my favorite of his stories. "

"I haven't read his poetry."

"Well, then," Pandora replied with a devious grin, "we'll just have to remedy that..."

)o0*0o(

_The next day..._

"Alright, ah... you see this here? This is my, ah, 'Complete Collected Works of Edgar Allen Poe.' Now, Imma let you borrow this, ah, here book, 'cause you're, ah, in need of some edumacation 'bout classical works. But there're, ah, some rules." She lightly tossed the beast of a book, at least as thick as her hand, onto the table as she sat down next to Terra Li during their lunch break.

"So, rule one." She suddenly dropped the accent even though people were nearby, something she usually reserved for private conversations. "Rule one, take care of my books. Rule two, my books never touch the ground or particularly dirty tables. Rule three, any dog-eared pages I find will be taken from your hide. Rule four, any damage I find, even a crease in the spine that wasn't there before (and as you can see, there are no creases whatsoever) will likewise be taken out of your hide. Got it? Understand? Wakarimasuka? Capice?"

Terra Li nodded. Her new acquaintance intimidated her, but she wasn't about to show it. After accepting the tome, she flipped to "Annabelle Lee" and began reading. She was enraptured by his imagery, and by the time she reached the last stanza, she was thankful that she wasn't the type who cried easily.

"And so, all the night tide, I lie down by the side

Of my darling -my darling- my life and my bride,

In her sepulchre there by the sea,

In her tomb by the sounding sea."

"That's so sad!" Terra Li whispered after a few breathless seconds.

"Yeah, but it's quality Poe right there. Sad, depressing, angsty, and d) alla the above." Pandora grinned. Terra Li shook her head, but Pandora could tell that inside, the redhead really did like the poem. Terra Li glanced sideways at the "punk" and thought,

_Maybe she's not so bad after all..._

)o0*0o(

_A week later..._

Terra Li smiled when she saw Pandora lying in wait under the tree. The latter gave her a look that said, "_Took you long enough_." Terra Li responded with a look of her own- _"I couldn't help it."_

"Are, ah, those punks messin' wit' ya again? 'Cause ya know I could, ah, very well put them in their, ah, place right here."

The punk formed a fist to help get her point across then pointed at her feet with a smirk. Terra Li's smile widened. She'd never admit it, but she always loved it whenever Pandora used that harsh Brooklyn accent, which was pretty much all the time except when it was just the two of them. Pandora never let normal people know that she was actually really well-read and could speak properly, preferring to keep up her reputation as a 'dumb punk' as she put it. The redhead had come to appreciate Pandora's her unusual sense of humour. Terra Li sat down and handed Pandora a grocery bag.

"What's this?"

"Food. Eat."

"Food? I already have-"

"_Real_ food, Pandora, not that overly processed junk you insist sustains your insanely fast metabolism."

"Are you a hippie or something?"

"Or something."

"Is this how you flirt, too?"

That got Terra Li's attention.

"What?" she asked in confusion. "I'm not flirting with you."

Pandora smirked. "I _know_ that. I wanted to know if you use that tone with guys, too."

"Oh. I don't know. Does it work?"

Pandora began laughing at Terra Li's naïveté. It was rough like she was but obviously genuine. She doubled over, her entire body shaking, and her face turned red. Soon she was laughing so hard that it made no noise. Terra Li wasn't sure if she should laugh along with Pandora or be offended... She decided to smile and wait for her friend's mirth to subside.

_Somehow I have the feeling this is going to be a great year._

)o0*0o(

Alright! First chapter done! I hope you liked it! ^-^ Please review! And for those of you who are disappointed because of no Lestrade, just keep reading! He's next chapter. ;)


	2. The Hospital

Hello, again. I'm writing this directly after the last author's note, so there isn't much to say here except please enjoy this chapter and review! Constructive criticism, by the way, is much appreciated!

Oh, and all characters except OCs belong to ACD and BBC. ;)

Enjoy the show! ;D

**Chapter Two: The Hospital**

_October_

_I. __**Hate**__. Today._

Terra Li flopped down on her bed and closed her eyes. She let out a sigh and tried to forget the events of the day to no avail. She arrived late to her Algebra 2 class, spilled water all over her Japanese teacher's papers, nearly killed the English professor's favorite turtle (why he even had a turtle in the class in the first place was a mystery to them all), spilled toxic chemicals all over the counter and on her favorite jeans... as the most famous of Murphy's Laws states, "Everything that can go wrong will go wrong." Or did, anyway.

By the time the school day was out, Terra Li had been ready to kill someone. Probably herself, but if Corrie Anderson gave her a problem at work, she might just kill her instead. She had debated on whether she should freshen up and risk being late for work, but after looking down and seeing the random pair of pants they had fished out from three decades ago for her after the aforementioned chemical accident, she had decided that it would be excusable just this once.

Terra Li sat up and stared at the spare contents of her closet. Though she lacked a quantity of clothes, the articles she owned were tasteful and simple, with the exception of her work shirts, which were playful and bright. Terra Li pulled out her pants and a t-shirt with cartoon depictions of several species of tropical fish exhibited at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. Her father had gotten it while he visited one of the American Marine Corps bases on the island. Children loved the pictures, especially because there were several fish from the movie _Finding Nemo_. Unfortunately, Nemo wasn't in the best spot on her shirt... She ended up having to make a rule about not poking the fish too hard. In desperation, she had told the children that the fish didn't like it. After that it wasn't a problem.

Terra Li slipped on her sandals. Corrie always insisted on her wearing closed toe shoes, but as the redhead only worked with the children, she made a habit of wearing sandals. Well, that _and_ she didn't like Corrie. That lady wasn't her boss- they didn't even work together, but Corrie always insisted on coming around to bug her about _something_. Terra Li always made an effort to be polite (because it was _always_ an effort), but she always wished she could tell Corrie to go jump off a cliff or something, at least once...

Terra Li stared at herself in the mirror as she brushed her waist length, light red hair and put it in a low ponytail. She wasn't ugly by any means, but she wasn't beautiful, either. The redhead was always tempted to call herself plain, but she wasn't quite that. She was somewhere in the middle of it all, she supposed. Her best friend from boarding school had told her that she had a cute, slightly upturned button nose, especially after you noticed the light freckles across it, but Terra Li hadn't been sure whether to believe her or not. Pandora had told her that she was 'cute,' and she wasn't sure if she liked that or not. Cute definitely wasn't beautiful, but at least it wasn't ugly.

Her face was long and narrow with high cheekbones, but her cheeks were slightly filled out, making her features round and cute. The redhead had almond-shaped eyes with bright green irises. Her lips were small, like her nose, and when she smiled, they were slightly higher on the left side. They were full, too- like a blooming rose, her father had once remarked. She had her mother's nymph-like face, he had told her. It was the only nice thing he ever said about her mother. In fact, it was the only thing he had ever mentioned about her mother after she had walked out on them so abruptly.

Terra Li had never minded. The two of them never talked much, but when they did, they were both content to leave Angela out. Overall, she and her father got along fairly well. Because of his duties in the Army, he was often gone, thus she was educated by a private tutor instead of public primary and secondary school. She and her father loved each other, but with so little time together they hardly knew _how_ to show that love, so it was almost a relief when it was no longer mandatory for them to spend time with each other. They were never short on money, so Terra Li could have most material things she wanted, which resulted in a rather extensive book collection. She was proud of her father, and even if she didn't always support the war, she would always support the troops. Though he never said it, Terra Li knew that her father was just as proud of her and the career she was pursuing.

Her alarm went off, signaling that she really needed to get going. At the last minute, she decided to change her shoes and wriggled into her trainers. She snatched her satchel, checking to make sure that she had everything. Satisfied, the redhead left. She jogged to Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, located just down the block from the university. Terra Li checked in with Stacie before making her way to the children's play area. Smiling, she walked into the room where kids were laughing, chattering, and playing happily. Many of them turned towards her as she entered.

"Tilly!" a little boy of three years cried in delight. Terra Li braced herself for impact as he ran straight for her. The redhead scooped up her giggling friend and spun him around.

"Nikolaus! How are you, Handsome?" Terra Li kissed the boy's cheek and set him back on the ground. His bright blue eyes contrasted with his pallid skin and thin brown hair. With his strange conical teeth he wouldn't qualify as "handsome" to most, but to Terra Li, he looked more stunning than anyone she knew. Despite everything he had gone through, he still remained a sweet and innocent child who loved everyone he came into contact with. He was three, after all- at that age, he could still afford to think of everyone as his friend.

"Mummy and Daddy and Uncle are all visiting tonight!" Nikolaus beamed. His symptoms were mild enough that he didn't need to be in the hospital 24/7, but since his most recent infection a few months ago, the doctors decided to have him remain at Ormond's until the results of his latest tests came back. Also, Nik's immune system was compromised, so they didn't want to risk infection. The little boy took Terra Li's hand and led her over to the building blocks.

"C'mon, Tilly! Maggie and me are making the biggest tower _ever_!"

"_Ever_, huh? Impressive."

"Tilly!" Maggie shouted, waving excitedly. She was seven years old with rich chocolate-coloured skin and wide, expressive brown eyes. She had chosen to shave her hair after the chemo treatments started, but her baldness did nothing to detract from her cuteness. Terra Li seated herself between the two and helped them construct their tower. The children rambled about all matter of things with Terra Li occasionally commenting where appropriate. Eventually, other children insisted they have a turn playing with the redhead. Never one to say no, Terra Li acquiesced to their demands, promising Maggie and Nikolaus that she would return later.

"Tilly, I'm so glad you're here," a tired yet kind voice said beside her. Terra Li looked up to see Nikolaus's mother as well as his father. They were in their mid-thirties, but difficulties in recent years had aged them quite a bit. Tilly stood and hugged them both.

"Amélie, Vladimir, it's so nice to see you again!" She nodded toward their son. "Nik is so excited. He's been talking about your visit non-stop since I got here."

"Mummy! Daddy!" Nikolaus squealed in delight when he saw his parents. They embraced their son lovingly, but Terra Li could tell that they were afraid to hold him too tightly and hurt him. Nikolaus, however, gripped his parents for all he was worth. Terra Li suddenly became aware of a third adult. She turned and saw a man who looked to be in his mid-late forties with short, silvering hair. However, in her opinion it suited him and did not detract from his handsome appearance. Tonight he wore a light blue, long-sleeved button up shirt and charcoal slacks.

"Hello, Lestrade. Nik will be so excited to know you're here."

Lestrade smiled, but his eyes held a mixture of both pleasure and pain. Whenever she saw him, the detective inspector always had that look in those dark, warm brown orbs. At least, when he wasn't dealing directly with his nephew. When he played with Nik, there was never any trace of sadness there, only love. The redhead thought for a moment how nice Lestrade looked when he smiled and really meant it- like the nice, handsome uncle who takes you fishing or builds a tire swing for you in his backyard. She had always wished she had an aunt or uncle, but with her mom gone and her father a single child, there had been no one to fill that blank in the family department. Looking at the family together, Terra Li felt a surge of happiness for Nikolaus rise in her chest. Nik had gone through so much. He deserved to have wonderful people in his life.

"It's been busy at the Yard, like always," Lestrade sighed, running his hand through his hair, "but thankfully I was able to grab some time off so I could visit my favorite nephew. How have you been, Valentine?"

Terra Li had insisted multiple times that he simply call her "Tilly," but eventually she had given up and let him have his way. He had told her that if she insisted on calling him Lestrade, he would have to call her Valentine to be even. She didn't mind as much anymore, especially because he was the only person who called her that. At least, the only one who didn't use it in a mocking tone.

"Busy, too. I'm just finishing my first month at university. Some of the classes are really hard, but I suppose that's to be expected of university. I love it though."

"I'm glad to hear that. You look very healthy, too. Have you lost weight?"

"Thanks. I'm glad to hear that I look slimmer but no, I haven't lost any weight at all. Actually, I've gained a few pounds since you last saw me! I think it's all muscle, though, so don't feel badly. I'm healthier than ever."

Lestrade nodded, although he still looked embarrassed. Terra Li suppressed a giggle at his boyish expression._ He really is so sweet. Why can't there be more people like him out in the world? It'd be a much better place if there were._

Terra Li was about to ask Lestrade another question when Nikolaus bounded up to them and wrapped his arms and legs around his uncle's ankle. Lestrade's smile widened at his nephew's appearance.

"Hey, Bud. How are you?"

"Great!" Looking at Terra Li, he said, "Show Uncle what I made for you!"

"Isn't it gorgeous?" the redhead boasted as she held out her wrist. She wore a bracelet made of large blue, green, and purple beads with "Tilly" spelled out in the middle with letter beads. The beads glittered as they reflected the white hospital lights.

"Nik remembered my favorite colors without me even having to tell him! He's a very smart boy, you know."

"That he is. I'd even go so far as saying he's a fair genius."

"I couldn't agree more."

Lestrade untangled his nephew from his leg and tossed him high in the air. Nik giggled happily and grinned childishly down at Lestrade, who grinned just as childishly back. The redhead smiled and walked off to play with the other children, leaving the family to spend precious time together.

)o0*0o(

I hope you enjoyed this. Thanks for reading. Please review. ^-^

Now that the intros are pretty much over, this plot will definitely begin to pick up, for those of you who are wondering.

If any of you actually work at a hospital like this, please tell me if I'm writing this all wrong. I tried to do research, and I've heard stories from my neighbors, but that can only take you so far, especially when the pain is still there.

Have a wonderful morning/day/night wherever you are! :)


	3. Shattered

Hello, everyone! I hope you're ready, because this story's really going to pick up. A couple of important notes first, though:

-There is a spoiler for the end of Superstitions, so just be aware.

-This chapter has some pretty major trigger. I tried to not be too explicit with some of it, but if you're uncomfortable, by all means stop reading.

-If I've just botched this, please tell me (nicely). And if you've got any suggestions on how I can improve (in any manner), please let me know. I'd appreciate it. ^-^

Again, thanks to bleedingcrimson beta-ing! ;P

On with the show!

**Chapter Three: Shattered**

Lestrade was having a very good night. Even though his nephew was suffering, it was still heartening to see how joyful and vivacious the little one was. Every moment they spent together was precious. Amélie had shed so many tears, lost so much sleep over this...

_I hope that the doctors find a cure soon_.

The DI sighed in frustration when his phone vibrated in his pocket. They would only call him in if it was extremely important, but he really didn't want to deal with dead people right now. Not when his only nephew was so close to dying himself. However, it was Lestrade's duty to protect his family while he still lived and breathed. He excused himself and read the text.

_Have a lead on the killer._

_Come to Belladonna's Brews._

_Be ready to run._

_SH_

If it had been anyone else, Lestrade would have ignored the text, but since it was Sherlock, he had to answer his summons (especially because he actually _had_ been summoned). At least Sherlock had been 'kind' enough to let him in on the chase.

_Why now?_ he thought ruefully. _Well, that's the life of a public service official, I suppose. Still, Nik will be so disappointed._

He closed his phone and tucked it back into his pocket. Lestrade pulled his brother-in-law aside and explained as much of the situation as was legal at this point. Vladimir nodded in understanding. If it had been an office emergency, he wouldn't let Greg go, but since it was a serial killer... well, that was another matter entirely. Lestrade picked up his nephew and said,

"Listen, Bud, I'm sorry to leave you like this, but I've just gotten a call that I need to help catch somebody."

"Is he bad?" the little boy asked solemnly.

"Very."

Nikolaus nodded sagely. He hugged his uncle tightly around the neck and kissed him on the cheek. Lestrade set him gently on the ground and ruffled his hair. Amélie came forward and kissed her older brother. She whispered,

"Be careful, alright?"

He nodded. "I'll be fine."

_If you're going to worry about anyone, it should be Sherlock. God knows what kind of trouble he's going to get me in tonight._

Lestrade nodded politely to the staff as he retrieved his jacket and exited the building. Thankfully he carried a weapon on his person at all times, so he simply took a taxi to the café. Sherlock was on him almost before the DI could step out of the vehicle. Striding off like a moping three-year-old, Sherlock complained,

"It's about time."

Lestrade and Watson followed close behind the consulting detective, though neither knew where he was taking them. Lestrade looked exasperatedly at Watson, who gave him a sympathetic smile that told him that the doctor was as clueless as the detective inspector.

"I was at the hospital, Sherlock. The only reason why I left is because you said you had a lead."

"Are you sure you can run, then?" Watson asked, concern written on his features as he scanned the DI with a practised doctor's eye.

"I was just visiting a relative," Lestrade informed.

"Ah. If there's anything we-" the blond cast a doubtful glance at his flat-mate, "_I_ can do, just let me know."

Lestrade nodded. He didn't think he could talk about such an emotional subject right now. He had a job to do, and that required him to be completely focused. However, after this whole business was over, perhaps he would take John up on his offer. Maybe he could help figure out what was going on with Nicklaus. Whatever it was, it scared him more than any serial killer could, and he knew it wasn't any better for Nicklaus' parents. Every week that went by he lost a little bit of hope. Hopefully, Nicklaus wouldn't be in the hospital the rest of his life, however long it might be, especially with all those test and injections and blood vials sent to the lab. However nice they tried to make it, the playroom was no substitute for the fields of heather and the wide, rambling moors where Nik and his parents lived.

Lestrade sighed aloud, trying his best to smile it off after Watson's concerned look, and thought, _Amélie looks as if she's about done with this too. I wouldn't be too surprised if she actually took him out of the hospital soon, if only to get him away from all those tests. Imagine, you own kid, being treated like some sort of experiment. Horrid, absolutely horrid. I just wish we all could afford to have him live at his own house. He was meant to play, to breathe the fresh air, to laugh and run and live... not be a wounded sparrow trapped in a stark white cage._

"Sherlock, where are you taking us?"

Lestrade needed a change of subject. The man with curly, dark hair made no effort to answer. Watson attempted to lighten the atmosphere with some small talk, but after it failed miserably he remained silent. They walked quickly and purposefully toward a destination only Sherlock knew. Perhaps he didn't know and was only guessing. The consulting detective insisted that he never guessed, but Lestrade knew that it was a lie. Even Sherlock didn't know everything. If he did, he would be bored out of his mind, and then where would they all be?

Getting to an alley that Lestrade recognized as the first murder scene of this miserable, grisly case. They watched as Sherlock took a quick look at the scene again, and Lestrade could almost see the light bulb light up in Sherlock's head and shine through those strange, icy eyes. Sherlock took off.

"Really?" He heard Watson sigh before they both ran after him. It seemed he had an idea of where the man would be now, or at least his next spot. Perhaps it was a pattern that they had all missed and Sherlock had caught. It wouldn't be the first time.

An ear-splitting scream rent the cool, still night air like a dagger. The three of them all stopped dead in their tracks before picking up the pace, their new (or not so new, in Sherlock's case) destination, somewhere they sensed they needed to be five minutes ago. The desperate, piercing sound sent chills up and down the men's spines, cold fingers of an innate fear they, nor anyone else, could ever explain. For a brief moment even Holmes looked unnerved. Lestrade's heart began racing. It had come from the direction of the hospital. If anything happened to his sister... Well, he was a police officer, so perhaps he could make some kind of excuse to keep him from behind bars.

But no. That wasn't her voice. He would have known it right away if it had been. _Still, _he thought,_ this is _somebody's_ daughter, perhaps somebody's sister or cousin or wife as well..._ Unconsciously he started to run even faster at that thought.

They rounded a bend and came upon a niche that was dimly illuminated by the dull yellow light of the lamppost across the way. A large, filthy man was crouched over a girl who struggled weakly against him even though there was no way she could win. By now she seemed on the verge of no longer having the strength. Whether physical or mental, Lestrade couldn't tell. Perhaps both. Lestrade and Watson simultaneously pulled out their weapons. Hopefully they could capture the man without hurting his victim. At this point, it really didn't matter if he was dead or alive, though the law would prefer him alive. Their quarry stiffened for a moment. Watson and Lestrade froze, ready to pounce, but Sherlock had disappeared. To their horror, the culprit whirled around and shielded himself with his victim.

Her face was badly bruised, as were her limbs. Her eyes were nearly swollen shut, making it nigh impossible to tell her identity. Lacerations crisscrossed her abdomen and chest in a macabre, Polluck-like spontaneity. The girl was petite, though it was obvious by her musculature that she was also fit. She trembled, but it seemed to Lestrade that it was a combination of both fear and fury. The scene around the two showed that though he had overpowered her in the end, this girl had not gone down without a fight. A broken nose and black eye on the murderer's face as well as a gash on his shoulder confirmed this. The killer raised an already-bloody knife to her neck, which bore blackening bruises.

"Take one step closer, and I'll kill her."

"Coward," Lestrade growled under his breath. The fire in Watson's normally placid eyes agreed with the DI's sentiment.

Suddenly a cry came from the opening in the alleyway, accompanied by a fist wearing newly sharpened (and _very_ illegal) brass knuckles that were clearly meant to harm. The newcomer's sneering face was twisted almost grotesquely in rage. She punched the man solidly in the jaw, causing him to recoil but not lose his hold on his victim. The knife grazed the beaten girl's throat, but Lestrade knew that it could have been much, much worse. The murderer, a little dazed from the blow, decided to cut his losses and dropped the girl. He made a run for it, gaining a short head start because of the couple of seconds the female punk took to gently lower the first girl to the ground. Lestrade and Watson stood there for a couple of seconds before snapping out of it, but Sherlock had already gone after the man, leaving the other two behind. They immediately sprinted to the young woman's side. Lestrade listened for any instructions John had to give him. After all, he was the army doctor. This was his specialty.

"These gashes are long, and some of them are deep, so we do as much as possible to staunch the bleeding. She's going into shock, so we'll need to cover her up. She needs to conserve as much heat as possible."

Watson was shedding his jacket, jumper, and shirt as he spoke. The girl appeared to be trembling slightly but unconscious; however, when the doctor went to touch her, she flinched and began shaking violently. She tried scrambling backwards but collapsed in agony. Her ragged, terrified gasps pulled at Lestrade's heartstrings.

_God, what did he do to her?_ Half of him was tempted to wonder if the other girls the murderer had raped had been better off dead. He angrily dismissed the thought as soon as it popped into his head. _Of course they're not better off! They could have had a chance to recover and rebuild their lives, but not anymore. This is the last girl he ever lays his eyes on. I will lock up that man until he rots and descends into hell._

Seeing a glimmer of purple, his eyes widened. _Could that be...?_ He looked again. That was it. The bracelet Nikolaus had made Valentine.

"Valentine?" Lestrade asked cautiously. She didn't respond. He crept slightly closer and murmured slightly louder, "Valentine?"

This time, she focused her swollen eyes on him but didn't show any signs of recognition. Lestrade crawled even closer. He tried to keep his voice as even as possible when all he wanted to do was take her into his arms and tell her how so very, _very_ sorry he was. But now wasn't the time. Later he would make all of this up to her. For the moment, though, he had to make sure she would calm down so they could help her stay alive. Lestrade gently took her hand. She flinched but didn't cry out. He could feel quiet intensity flowing through her. The DI marveled at her unexpected fighting spirit. Instinctively, he squeezed her small, soft hand and gently coaxed,

"Valentine -Tilly- it's me, _Lestrade_... Nik's uncle. You're okay now. Just relax."

Her trembling and tenseness lessened. _Good. Now for her to let Watson administer first aid._

"Tilly, listen to me. This is my friend. He's a doctor. You're in shock. He can help you, but you've go to let him get closer to you. I know you're not comfortable with that right now, but if you don't let him help you..."

He didn't have to finish. Watson had just gotten off the phone with the emergency services and sat down next to the wounded girl. She nodded her permission for him to examine her. Even amidst all the fear and trauma, somewhere inside her she was still the Terra Li who had rehearsed first aid procedures over and over until they were muscle memory. Watson tenderly felt for any broken bones or internal bleeding, pausing every time she flinched or cried out, and soothingly asked what places hurt. After his examination, the doctor slipped his shirt over her exposed chest and tore Lestrade's shirt into bandages for her other injuries with the DI's help. They then gently covered her with Watson's favourite jumper and both of their jackets. Even with all that, Terra Li's body still shook, and Lestrade finally realized how freezing she must be. The two men huddled as close as they dared to her in order to preserve both her body heat and theirs.

Throughout the entire procedure, both men had taken to speaking to her. None of them could remember or even fully comprehend what either man had said, but it had a calming effect on them all nonetheless. Lestrade continued to hold her hand and stroked the back of her elegant, slender fingers with his large, calloused thumb like he had Amélie's when she had nightmares as a small child. He whispered in her ear until the ambulance arrived.

Never had the wail of an emergency vehicle sounded so beautiful. He wanted to go to the hospital with Terra Li, but he knew that as detective inspector that it was his job to stay here until the rest of his team and Sherlock arrived. Watson had texted Sherlock, but he still had not received a reply. After discussing it for a while, they decided that it was best that Watson went with her in case Terra Li would not let the other doctors touch her. Both men got their jackets back after the paramedics covered the wounded girl with shock blankets, but she refused to let them remove the jumper, even with the shirt she wore beneath. Lestrade saluted Watson, who nodded as the ambulance doors slowly closed.

_Please let her be alright, _Lestrade prayed. _Don't let her die. After Ash, John couldn't take it. And after Jenny, neither could I._

)o0*0o(

This was both an easy and difficult chapter to write... Hopefully y'all enjoyed it to some extent. If I were in that situation, I'd definitely want Lestrade and Watson there; that's for sure. Now here's some thanks to the people who have reviewed!

Morgan Stuart: First reviewer! Thanks! I've already sent you a message, but I love doing reviewer shout outs, so here you are. ;) Also, as I was writing the beginning of this chapter, I decided to finally listen to some Buddy Holly. The music was too cheerful of a sound for the mood of this chapter, but I enjoyed it and will have to keep the music links somewhere I can pull them up to help me write a happier chapter. ;)

Sidney Sussex: Again, I sent you a message, but I'm so glad you liked this so far. Hopefully I've delivered some good Lestrade action for you. ;)

ChameloenCircuit: I agree that I wouldn't read most fanfics with this amount of OCs, either, so thank you for sticking with me! ^-^

P.S. I felt weird alluding to Pandora's _very illegal_ brass knuckles in chapter one, but now it's in here, so I don't feel weird anymore… .'

Anyhow, enjoy yourselves! I'm too impatient to wait, so I'm going to proceed to put up chapter 4! See you there! :P


	4. DismantleRepair

Sorry about the title. I really wanted to save this one and the one before it for other chapters, but I couldn't think of anything better for them, so I went with this (a title of an Anberlin song). I can't think of anything else to say, soooo… On with the show!

(Besides OCs, these characters are not mine but ACD's and BBC's)

Beta-ed by bleedingcrimson.

**Chapter Four: .**

_A few days later_

Lestrade and Watson entered Terra Li's hospital room. The nurses had been adamant that they wait until today to come in to visit, though Watson had tried to use his medical expertise an as excuse for earlier permission. The young woman was lying down, her copper tresses feathering across a sallow hospital pillow. Her bruises had reached their darkest, but both men knew that it signaled oncoming recovery. She smiled wanly at the men.

"Hello, Lestrade. And you, too, Doctor…" she paused and flashed an embarrassed smile. "I apologize- shock isn't conducive to remembering trivial facts like names."

"It's fine. I'm John Watson."

Terra Li studied the doctor. The lines and bags around his eyes spoke of the hardship and pain he had suffered as well as the joy and happiness he had experienced. Their eyes met, and Watson's reflected a deep, piercing sorrow that reached across the gap and resonated within the young woman. She felt an intense ache in her chest and knew it wasn't from any physical wound.

_I understand your pain. Though the one you love may no longer be here, they are not entirely gone as long as you hold fast to those cherished memories._

"Thank you," she replied softly, still holding his gaze. The corners of Watson's eyes wrinkled slightly upward, and Terra Li knew he understood.

"You're welcome, Miss Valentine."

"Please, call me Tilly." The doctor nodded. The girl's eyes lit up suddenly, and she weakly pulled a oatmeal-coloured jumper. "Thanks for letting me borrow this, by the way. It... helped. A lot. Sorry about the blood. Can you get it out?"

"It'll be fine. Why don't you keep it?" Terra Li opened her mouth to protest, but Watson silenced it with, "It means a lot more to you, I think, than it does to me. Why don't I go clean it up and bring it back on my next visit?"

"That… would be wonderful. Thank you." Terra Li looked at the detective inspector and asked, "Lestrade, how are you today?"

"I'm fine. Thank you for asking." _Even when she's lying in a hospital bed, she still manages to be concerned about others' well being. She would have gotten along well with Jenny..._ Lestrade blinked, trying to banish the unwelcome memories. Focusing once more on the young woman in front of him, he asked, "Valentine, how are _you_ feeling?"

"Better, thanks. Pain medication works wonders, although its effects on the imagination I could do without."

Lestrade grinned wryly at this. "I've never liked them much myself. By the way, Nik, his family, and everyone at the hospital send their regards."

"Thank you. Please give them mine as well."

Watson's phone beeped loudly, yanking the trio back to reality. Blushing, he apologized, "Sorry. I've got to go to work, though knowing Sherlock he'll find some way to weasel me out of it. Tilly, it was a pleasure to meet you. If there's anything you need, just let me know."

"Thank you, Watson. I will. It was a pleasure to meet you as well."

The blond exited, leaving silence in his wake. Lestrade walked over to a chair and sat next to his young friend. Each had a thousand things they wanted to say, but neither knew how to voice them.

"Lestrade… Thank you."

_You saved my life. _

"You're welcome."

_We would have been devastated if we lost you._

Again silence.

"I suppose you want me to tell you what happened."

"Valentine, you don't have to now. I came to see how you were feeling, not to take your statement."

"It's fine, Lestrade. They're going to give me another dose of drugs soon. I wouldn't want all that to interfere with my story. It's better to just get it all out now so I can move on with my life."

"Whatever you'd prefer."

_You're a brave girl, Valentine._

_Thank you._

Terra Li nodded. She took a deep breath and stared up at the blankness of the ceiling.

"I normally take a cab home from the hospital, but that night, I felt like jogging. On the way, Pandora had texted me asking me to meet her at Belladonna's Brews. I don't normally go there from the hospital, but I figured I could find it on my own, so I didn't call a cab. Stupid, foolish decision. I knew better.

"I got a little turned around, and I ended up wandering into a part of town I wasn't familiar with. Suddenly someone attacked me from behind. I struggled against him, kicking, punching, elbowing, biting– angry, he drew his knife and stabbed me in the side. I should have kept running, but I couldn't. My body must have gone into shock or something because it refused to do what my brain was screaming for it to do." She cringed at the memory but continued nonetheless. "I don't remember much of what happened next."

"Valentine, you're doing a great job. If you want to stop, it's perfectly fine. I wasn't expecting you to say anything about it at all today."

"I'll finish. I just want to get this over with."

Lestrade nodded.

"He took his knife and sliced my stomach– 'carving,' he called it– and whispered dark, poisonous words that made me wish he'd just run me through and get it over with. And then, he–" she made a strangled noise as if the words lodged themselves in her throat. After several attempts she managed to clear it. Her voice was quieter, yet it held more vibrancy than before.

"But then you came. I remember you squeezing my hand and telling me that he was gone, that I was going to be okay, that Doctor Watson wasn't going to hurt me, and I knew that I was going to be alright as long as you were there. If both of you hadn't been there… he would have killed me."

Her gaze was someplace far away. Lestrade had never heard her speak so much in her life. He only wished that she could have told him a happier story. _Valentine, you're a brave, _brave_ young woman. We've got him locked up now, and I swear that I will do everything in my power so that he never touches another girl again._

Suddenly, Valentine blinked and chuckled sheepishly.

"I'm sorry. I'm rubbish at this recounting thing, aren't I? I've provided you with hardly anything helpful at all."

"Valentine… you were amazing. Really." He glanced at his watch and frowned. "I'm sorry, Valentine, but I've got to go. There are some things at the station I need to clean up."

"It's fine. Thank you… for everything."

Suddenly, someone burst into the room. Lestrade tensed involuntarily, prepared to fight.

"Oi! Valentino, you, ah, alright there?" Pandora asked. She looked at Lestrade smirked, revealing a black eye. "What's the, ah, 5-oh gotta do in, ah, place like this? Not, ah, inter-ra-gattin' this, ah, poor girl here who's just, ah, mindin' her own busi-ness, I hope."

She cracked knuckles and neck, ready to forcibly eject Lestrade from the room if need be even if he _was _the police. Despite the worry that her friend might get into trouble, Terra Li laughed.

"Pandora, please! I'm fine, really. Actually, you ought to thank him for saving my life."

"I'm not gunna thank him for, ah, catching your attacker. I got there, ah, just before those guys did, and if I, ah, had _my _way, let's just say, the, ah, govern-ment wouldn't of had to pay for ah-nother prisoner to feed..."

Terra Li smiled apologetically at her silver-haired friend, who really should have left but couldn't tear himself away for reasons he couldn't quite explain. Lestrade stood at the edge of her bed.

"Amélie told me that your father is fighting overseas and that your mother is- unavailable..." Lestrade coughed uncomfortably. The detective inspector knew he shouldn't judge, but he couldn't understand how anyone could possibly desert their family like that. He slipped a piece of paper into Terra Li's hand and gave it another squeeze. "I know you already have Amélie's number, but here's my mobile and John's in case you need anything."

"Thanks. I know Pandora is intent on taking care of everything, but I'll let you know if there's anything you can do." She smiled, then nodded toward the door. "Now, Detective Inspector, you'd better get along. You wouldn't want to be any later than you already are."

"Right. I'll try to drop in later, but-"

"Tha's right, I'm here to take care'a her! Don't you worry your little policeman head; she'll be fine. Better me than some wacko doktor, in any case."

A look of recognition dawned on Lestrade's face, and he briefly wondered if he should press charges for the brass knuckles Terra Li's companion was wearing the other night. Perhaps they could be pushed aside like the "unmentionable" in Watson's drawer. As he exited he nodded and said,

"Good day, ladies."

Once the door closed, Pandora dropped most of her jaunty facade and turned to Terra Li.

"You okay?"

Terra Li smiled. "I'll be fine. I promise."

)o0*0o(

Wah! Such a hard chapter to write! DX Terra Li isn't the most talkative person, so getting her to talk and still stay in character is... difficult. T.T

I'm not really sure what else to say except please let me know what you think! Was it good? Bad? Ugly? Have and constructive criticism because I'd love to hear it!

Thanks and have a lovely morning/day/afternoon/evening/night wherever you are!


	5. Atlas

Sorry for the wait! I've been busy with school, but I should be okay for the next couple of weeks… and then come finals. XD I'm too impatient to have a beta for this chapter [bad, bad me!], so if you see mistakes, let me know. ;)

Please enjoy, everyone! :D

**Chapter Five: Atlas**

_A few days later_

"Hello, Valentine. Special delivery," Lestrade greeted as he walked into the hospital room.

"Delivery?" the redhead asked, sitting up with interest. She accepted the bag he offered her. A smile lit her face as she pulled out several handmade cards with crayon and marker drawings. She read the first one.

_Dear Tilly,_

_I hope yu get better soon. I miss seeing yu and I miss ur hugs. Plez kum bak wen yu can._

_Nik_

The front had a picture of the two of them in a meadow with flowers, birds, and a smiling sun. Terra Li raised her hand to her mouth, not sure whether to laugh or cry. She bit her lip as she slowly read through each letter, engraving each child's loving words and drawings into her memory.

"Nik and Maggie organized it."

"They- _what_?"

"Amélie told me that Nik and Maggie had all the kids make you get well cards... which explains why no one bothered to spell check them."

Terra Li laughed- a low, musical sound that reminded Lestrade of women in the black and white films he used to watch as a kid. It had been far too long since he had heard that sound from Valentine. She flashed him a grin that struck his heart.

_That smile_...

He shook himself out of the thoughts he knew would plague him if he dared let them follow their current course. The DI smiled weakly at Terra Li's concerned gaze, but he knew she didn't believe him. However, Valentine was kind enough to let him be. She knew he would tell her when he felt like it. Deciding to switch the subject, Lestrade announced,

"By the way, when you get back to university, you have permission from the dean to move into Pandora's room if you like."

"Pan-Pandora's?"

"Yes. She offered to room with you in case you'd rather not have to deal with, how did she put it, 'pansy duh-ta-duhs.' "

Terra Li chuckled and shook her head. "That's Pandora through and through, alright. Actually, I'm surprised that she didn't say worse."

Lestrade smiled. Pandora Doyle had been an... _interesting_ person to speak with, to say the least. Once she had realized that he and Watson truly meant to help Terra Li, she had relaxed and actually been quite humorous, though the dean clearly hadn't thought so when she originally made her proposition. If Lestrade and the doctor hadn't been there, then she might not have been successful in her request.

Still, the silver-haired man thought she was good for Valentine. With that kind of friend, she might gain the confidence to make more friends her age. Lestrade knew how few friends the poor girl really had, even if she always skirted the subject and focused on the kids. She was always focused on the kids. He had seen her working on schoolwork in the hospital, and when he told her to take a break, she had replied firmly that the more work she left undone during her stay in the hospital the more time she would have separated from the children at Ormond's. They were as much her life as protecting London was his.

He only wished those children didn't have to die so young.

_Two weeks later_

Pandora felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She slipped it out and read the text.

_Meet me at the loo closest to my Japanese class._

The black-haired female exited the class and walked down the hall. She hoped that Terra Li hadn't been throwing up again. Pandora had told the underclassman that she probably had food poisoning or perhaps a reaction to her medicine. The older student had cautioned her to take a sick day, but the redhead wouldn't have it.

"_I've already had enough sick days!"_ she had insisted. _"The last thing I want to do is make the teachers think I'm a flake."_

"_Because making up all your work plus doing a little extra credit while you're cooped up in the hospital makes you look like a flake,"_ Pandora had replied. Terra Li hadn't said anything, but her roommate had realized that it was no use.

Pandora sighed. That girl was just too much sometimes. Who did she think she was? _Atlas_? Knowing Terra Li, it was probably a yes, even if the redhead didn't realize it.

_Why would anyone purposefully take on so much? It's one thing to be studious, but entirely another to be so dedicated to not only one's studies but also to the care of other people. Sometimes I wonder if she is even physically _capable_ of taking a break._

The black-haired young woman pushed open the door and called, "Tilly, you in here?"

Pandora felt something knot in pit of her stomach. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong. Why wasn't Tilly answering? Swallowing, she pushed open the door to the only occupied stall and locked it behind her. Terra Li sat on the closed lid of the toilet, head down and shoulders bowed forward as if an enormous weight rested across her shoulders.

_Atlas,_ Pandora bitterly thought once more. She never quite liked the titan, though gods know that Terra Li was much more willing to bear her self-obtained burdens.

The redhead passed her a small, cylindrical piece of plastic wrapped in toilet paper. Pandora took it and read the screen. Then read it again. And again.

Her brain refused to register what she was seeing. She should have seen it coming. Both of them should have. Yet somehow... For a second, pity welled inside her for the girl sitting in front of her. Then something else, fierce and bitter and cold, coiled itself around her stomach and constricted it like a snake. Pandora clenched her fists as she felt the unwanted thoughts and emotions begin to rage inside her. She whipped around and stormed out of the stall. On glimpsing her reflection in the mirror, Pandora violently punched it with her leather-bound hand, causing the glass to shatter. Without pausing, she furiously marched out the door and slammed it behind her.

_That went well, all things considering_, Terra Li thought bitterly.

)o0*0o(

I know this is very short, but I promise that the next one should be longer! And for those of you who are saying, "Where's Nik?" he'll be in the next chapter. I made sure of it!

duh-ta-duh: an idiot or oaf


	6. Promises

Hello, everyone! :D

I know that you might be wondering, "Where is she going with this?" after the last chapter, but I promise that I'll do my best not to get all weird and hyper-focus on my OCs on y'all. I want to keep this balanced, so if these next few chapters seem unbalanced to you, please let me know. Thanks!

)oOo(

**Chapter Six: Promises**

_The next day_

Terra Li walked as fast as she could up the stairs without hurting her still-mending body. This was the first day back at the hospital after they let her recuperate, and she wouldn't miss it for the world. Exchanging letters and even the Skype message they had the other night couldn't replace being with them in person. Hugs just weren't the same over the Internet.

As soon as she emerged into the playroom, the floodgates opened. Before she could brace herself, the deluge of children knocked her to the ground. Hugs and kisses assaulted her, overwhelming her with their sheer number. For a few moments she was so dazed that she could only lie there and let herself soak in the children's affection.

_Sometimes_, she thought contentedly, _it's nice to be reminded how much you're loved_. Gathering everyone within reach into her arms, Terra Li cried,

"Good evening, my beautiful princesses and dashing knights! It's so good to see you all! I've missed you so much!"

A deafening roar of replies followed. Finally, Corrie's nasally voice said,

"Alright, kids, let's not suffocate her." After the children backed off, Miss Anderson looked down at Terra Li and suggested, "Be careful. Don't want to hurt yourself the first day back on the job."

The redhead nodded curtly. She realized that Corrie was only trying to help, but all the same she wished the woman had a better delivery. The brunette nodded back, hesitated for a few moments as if she wanted to say something more, then walked away. Terra Li felt a twinge of guilt. She really needed to learn how to be nicer to people older than seven. Nik and Maggie's insistent tugging on her arms, however, pulled her away from her thoughts.

"We've finished it, Tilly!" Maggie cried.

"Finished what?" Tilly asked, searching her mind for the pair's latest project. Those two were always up to something, and while they had good intentions, _sometimes_... She sighed with relief when they answered,

"Our _tower!_"

Terra Li smiled. _Ah, yes, the tower. More correctly, 'the biggest tower __**ever**_.' She followed them through the playroom, carefully avoiding the scattered toys and playing children. As she passed by, some of the kids handed her presents- trinkets and drawings, mostly. There were so many that soon she had to ask one of the nearby nurses for a bag to put them all in. Not that she minded. Her side of the dorm room was covered with children's drawings, though there was _always_ room for more. When they arrived at the spot, Terra Li's eyes widened. Blocks were stacked all the way to the eight-foot ceiling.

"H-how...?"

"Uncle helped us!" Nik said delightedly. Maggie nodded.

"He made sure that it wouldn't fall down. He needed a stepladder to reach the ceiling, though."

Terra Li smiled at the information. How like Lestrade to do such a seemingly small act. He knew full well the significance of the little things... Maggie poked Terra Li gently, saying,

"I'm gonna play with Evan, okay?"

"Alright. Want me to come?"

Maggie shook her head. Her eyes flickered from her over to Nik for a split second, and Terra Li understood.

"It's fine. I'll be back, yeah?"

"Okay. Have fun, Love!"

Maggie waved and wandered over to a boy with pale skin and bright ginger hair. People had asked Terra Li multiple times if they were related, at which she replied, "_No, but if I could, I'd adopt him as my little brother in a heartbeat!_" Nik crawled into Terra Li's lap and began playing with some alphabet blocks. She smiled and stroked his thin hair gently, enjoying his sweet, silent presence. After several minutes, Nick asked,

"Tilly, when I'm all better, will you come and live with me?"

Terra Li smiled and chuckled. She ruffled his hair affectionately and replied,

"I'd love to, Nik, but I've got to go to school. Your house is too far away for me to go every day."

"But you can go to school with _me_."

"I suppose I could. But that's not the kind of school I need to go to. I need to go to a special school where you learn how to take care of other people."

"But you already know how to," Nik reasoned, his blue eyes round and insistent.

"Well, I need to have a special piece of paper that says I'm official, that way all the mummies and daddies will know that they can trust me. However, I have to take a certain test to be official, and I have to take the special classes in order to take the tests."

"Oh. Okay..."

"_But_ I'll try to go to your house on vacations if it's okay with your parents. How does that sound?"

A huge grin spread across his face as he hugged Terra Li tightly around the neck. The redhead felt a surge of overwhelming love and gratitude course through her. She embraced him back and wished that she could stay in that moment forever. Suddenly, she felt a tear splash onto her neck. She frowned and was about to ask Nik what was the matter when he mumbled,

"I missed you, Tilly. _Lots._" He paused, sniffling, and continued, "_Lots_ and _lots_. Please don't ever leave me again... I don't wanna be alone... You _can't_ die! I-I _need_ you, Sissy!"

At this, he began sobbing unabashedly. Tilly rubbed his back and drew him closer to her. His little body was warm and soft... so vulnerable, so precious. The redhead inhaled silently. He felt more solid and tangible than her own heartbeat. If anything ever happened to him... She blinked away the tears threatening to spill over and banished the fears from her mind.

"Nik... " Her voice quivered a bit. She took a moment to steady it before continuing, "There will be times when I can't come here. However, you don't have to be scared. As long as I am living, I will do _whatever_ it takes to get back to you. You are worth the world to me, Nik. You and Maggie and Evan and all the other kids are dearer to me than you'll ever know- _y__ou_ are the very reason my heart beats. I don't know what I'd ever do without you children. You are all so beautiful and special to me. So no matter what happens, don't be afraid. I will _always_ come back."

"_Promise?_"

"Promise."

Nik's sobs had quieted to sniffles now. He rested his head on Terra Li's shoulder and contentedly sighed,

"I love you, Tilly."

Terra Li kissed the top of his head and whispered,

"I love you, too, Nik."

_Two hours later_

Exiting Nikolaus's sickroom, Lestrade entered the hospital playroom and spied Terra Li holding a baby who couldn't have been more than half a year old. She supported him as he shakily stood on her thighs, bobbing up and down as if he wanted to jump off and run around. The baby giggled and gurgled happily; smiling, the redhead imitated him. Leaning casually on the wall, Lestrade watched the two babble back and forth for a while. A bittersweet smile stole onto his lips at the exchange. After several minutes, he finally approached her.

"Who's this?"

Terra Li jumped slightly in surprise but didn't lose her hold of the baby. Chuckling in relief, she faced the DI.

"Oh, hello, Lestrade. This is Andrew. His parents are with his older sister right now, so I'm taking care of him for a while. Sweetie, say hi to the wonderful gentleman!" She sat down the baby so he faced Lestrade, who let the little one latch onto his finger.

"How do you do, Andrew?"

Andrew giggled and promptly stuck Lestrade's finger into his mouth. Lestrade grimaced. Laughing, Terra Li gently extracted the silver-haired man's finger from between Andrew's gums.

"Honey, I don't think that he wants you using his hand as a chew toy. You could get sick from that. You're better off sticking to your own fingers." She smiled at the DI. "Seems he's taken a shine to you, Lestrade."

"I think he likes you better."

"Well, that's only because he's known me longer." She adjusted Andrew so that he was standing again. "How are you? It's been a while since I've last seen you. No trouble, I hope."

"I'm fine, thanks. Work is a bit slow, which is good. I'd rather swamp through papers than bodies."

"Ah, yes, papers. They say that once you're done with school you don't have to worry about that anymore. Not true, then?"

"Not in the least, unfortunately- at least, if you're a DI."

"Well, I'm glad I won't be one, then. No offense."

"None taken." Lestrade smiled. He remembered how much he had hated papers in school… the feeling only intensified as he had gotten older, but he slogged through them all anyway. Looking into his young friend's eyes, he asked, "How are you? I've stopped by here a few times in the past month, and it's the first time I've seen you."

At this point, Andrew began crying. Terra Li dug a ready-made bottle out of the baby's diaper bag and cradled him in her arms. She gave him the bottle, which Andrew gratefully accepted, greedily guzzling down its contents. The redhead watched him fondly for a while before remembering Lestrade.

"I'm sorry! I totally spaced out. You were asking?"

"It's fine." He smiled encouragingly, but he couldn't help but feel there was something more that Terra Li wasn't telling him. She had changed subtly since the attack, which was to be expected, but somehow the fact that she seemed to have moved on so quickly unsettled him. His gaze grave but kind, Lestrade asked seriously,

"Valentine, how are you _really_ doing?"

Terra Li tried to smile but failed. She knew that she couldn't pretend with Lestrade. He could see through her mask, and besides, he deserved the truth. She averted her gaze, trying to compose herself, and watched Andrew slowly drift to sleep. Finally, she whispered,

"I... I don't know what to do, Lestrade."

Lestrade leaned forward and squeezed her hand encouragingly.

"It's all right. You don't have to- not all the time. No one expects you to have it all together after what you've been through..."

Terra Li's breath caught in her throat as she struggled to compose herself. "You don't understand, Lestrade. You- you could _never_ understand. I don't know why I even brought it up. I'm sorry- just… just ignore it. All of it."

Lestrade frowned. He didn't want to probe, but at the same time he felt responsible for her. The DI realized that things had changed between them since the attack. They were no longer casual acquaintances; he had seen her through the most traumatic experience of her life. Now he needed to protect her and help her like he would his own daughter had he one.

"Valentine. I'm here to help you no matter what. You can trust me with anything. Know that."

"Thanks." She tried to smile, but it faltered and disappeared. Gathering her courage, she looked straight into his eyes and said, "I... I'm pregnant."

)oOo(

Dun dun dun! How will Lestrade react?

As always, please give me feedback! How did Nik's character work for you? Lestrade's? Jenny's? Any constructive criticism or ideas? I'd love to hear them all! Thanks! ^-^


	7. Everything's Going to be Fine

Sorry for the long wait! I couldn't figure out how to make this chapter longer, sooo... I went with this. XD It's far too short, but I felt that it's been too long since I've posted this story and that you lovely readers deserve a little something, so here it is!

Also, lame title is lame. XD

Chapter Seven: Everything's Going to be Fine

"_I... I'm pregnant."_

The information floated motionlessly in the air for a few moments before ramming into Lestrade's chest full force. He didn't lose just his breath- he lost all feeling, all track of thought. A word that should have brought joy now loomed between them in ugly letters, dripping red like the ones the attacker had carved across Terra Li's stomach. What could he say to that? Valentine was right- there was no way he could even begin to comprehend what she was feeling. How was she not collapsing under the weight she must be bearing? Had he been in her place, Lestrade knew he couldn't have handled the pressure. He felt the need to say something, _anything,_ to help her feel better, but what was there to say? Nothing could take back the attacker's actions, could change what what Valentine was going through. She would have to suffer far worse repercussions than that felon ever would.

"How... how long have you known?"

He silently cursed himself. That was the best he could do? Terra Li, however, took it in stride.

"Since yesterday."

Lestrade fought the urge to shake his head in disbelief. He couldn't understand how she maintained her composure. The fact she could relay this to him without breaking down...

_Come to think of it,_ he thought,_ she never let out her emotions in the hospital, either. Or at least, not that I could see. While it's understandable that she wouldn't want to worry the children, surely this is unhealthy. Or has she simply not gotten over the shock yet?_

"I really should have seen it coming. I mean..." she paused, shifting uncomfortably. "I'm sorry for dumping this on you. You've already got so much on your shoulders. You don't need to waste your precious time or emotions on me. I'm not important enough for that."

Lestrade frowned disapprovingly. Gently taking her by the shoulders, he waited for her to look him in the eyes.

"Terra Li Valentine, don't you _ever_ say that you're not important- to these kids and these parents, you're one of the most important people here. You understand me?"

The redhead glanced away, her cheeks reddening. She shouldn't be wallowing in pity. So many more people had it worse than she did. It wasn't right.

"I understand... and I'm sorry."

Lestrade's expression softened. He hadn't meant to be harsh- goodness knows that's not what she needed right now. Backing away a little, the D.I. searched for the right words. What would Jenny say if she were here?

"Valentine, you are one of the kindest, most wonderful people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. You have a way with children that no one else can match. You bring _hope_ to these families... to _me_..." He took a breath to steady himself and gently held her hand between his. "I meant what I said earlier- you can trust me no matter what. If you _ever_ need anything, I will do my best to help you. You _and_ your child."

Terra Li nodded. She couldn't trust herself to speak. _He's just like Daddy, _she thought. A smile lit her face at that.

_Everything's going to be fine._

)o0o(

Another chapter done! What do you think? Is Lestrade in character? Should he have said something else? Let me know in your wonderful comments! :D


	8. Christmas!

Hello, everyone! I know that it's far past Christmas, but I couldn't resist! XD I won't be updating this too frequently since I'm in school, but my goal is to finish this by the end of May. I'm about halfway there, I think...

As usual, Lestrade doesn't belong to me. The rest of the characters are mine, though (since when did it become so OC dominant! *cries* And I'd aimed for this chapter to be just about Lestrade and Nik... *headdesk* Next time...)

Anywho, enjoy! :D

**Chapter Eight: Christmas!**

_December_

The next month flew by, and before Terri Li knew it, the first term was over and Christmas was on its way.

"C'mon, Tilly! I can't believe you, ah, don' like shoppin'!" Pandora cried as she dragged the redhead out of their dorm and toward the mall. Trying to fight back and failing, Terra Li laughed,

"And I can't believe you _do_!"

"Yeah, well, you can't, ah, look _this_ good without browsing, ah, while."

"I suppose that's true."

The two marveled at the wares in the shop windows, occasionally going in to have a closer look. Pandora resisted the urge to roll her eyes when her friend emerged from the toy shop with bags filled to the brim. Stopping to gaze at the window to a maternity and infant wear store, Terra Li commented happily,

"Oh, I just love babies! I suppose that if anyone were to be in my situation, it might as well be me. I'm so excited!"

Raising a brow, Pandora quipped, "For the crying and the diaper changing?

"No! I can't say I am, but I _am_ excited for the cuddling and kisses and oh how I just _love_ their little hands and little feet! It'll be worth it once we get past first few months."

"_We_?"

Terra Li kept rambling bubbly despite her friend's skeptical look.

"Well, _you_ don't have to help with the baby, of course, if you don't _want_ to. Amélie said that I can stay with them for as long as I need, which is very kind of them. I don't know if I'll take up the offer, but at least it's there."

"So..." Pandora paused, trying to find the right words. She didn't want to upset her friend when she was in such high spirits. "Are you planning on actually keeping the baby?"

"Of course!"

"What about uni? The hospital? Can you do those things with a baby _and_ no paying job?"

Terra Li looked up at the cloudy sky thoughtfully. Several minutes passed before she answered.

"Honestly? I have no clue. I'm still trying to figure everything out. I mean, my whole _life_ is going to be different with this baby. I don't know if I can still pursue that dream, or even if it's the right dream to pursue anymore. Ideally, I'd _love_ to raise my child, but when it comes down to it, if I can't give him the things he needs, then I'll have to find someone to adopt him. Of course, I'd do my very best to visit him as much as I could and show him how much I love him, but if it happens that the family he needs is one that I cannot travel to easily... I'll just have to settle with what I can do.

"But I'd rather not focus on that quite yet. I'm only two months pregnant- there's still seven more months for me to decide. _Anything_ can happen between now and then. Right now, I just need to focus getting through each day; it has enough troubles of its own."

Pandora smirked. _That girl is far too optimistic... then again, the world probably needs more people like that._

* * *

><p><em>A few days later<em>

"Happy Christmas, everyone!" Lestrade cried as he walked into the hospital playroom. The children cried in delight, causing him to miss the nurses who were looking him up. Terra Li, who stood beside him wearing a full elf costume, nudged the D.I. in the ribs and whispered with a suppressed laugh,

"C'mon, Saint Nick! Give us a jolly laugh!"

The silver-haired man gave her a mock dirty look, then held his fake belly and laughed heartily. The children cheered even louder at this. Terra Li could hardly hide her snickers, but Pandora did nothing to conceal her (slightly-malicious-looking-though-completely-amused) smirk. The latter had been dragged into it only after her roommate promised to make meals for the next two weeks. She would never admit it, but it was actually kind of fun, though for some reason the kids had loved her despite her best attempts to shift the attention off herself. Thankfully, Father Christmas's appearance had done just that.

Lestrade and his trusty elves began handing out presents to all the children. The D.I. couldn't help smiling at the kids' squeals of laughter and delight. He hadn't seen them all so happy since... well, _ever_.

Nik and Terra Li sat on the floor playing with his new building set. Instead of just one tower, he was determined to build an entire town this time. Lestrade had promised to help their project once he had handed out the rest of the gifts. Looking up suddenly, the little boy asked,

"Tilly, how old are you?"

"How old do you _think_ I am?" she chuckled, wondering what his answer would be. He cocked his head and thought for a bit.

"Twenty-three."

"No, sweetie, I'm only 18."

"Oh. Okay." He went back to constructing a house for a little while before piping up once more, "Hey, Tilly?"

"Yes?"

"Are you married?"

Terra Li started in surprise. Where had _that_ come from? Was she already showing? She resisted the urge to look at her abdomen. Finally she answered,

"Married? No."

"_Why_?"

" '_Why_?' Well..." She did some quick thinking before answering truthfully, "nobody's asked me to."

"Oh." Nik finished his house and began on the school. After a few moments he asked,

"Are you in love with anyone?"

"_In love_ with anyone?" She couldn't keep the soft laughter out of her voice. "No. Why?"

"No reason," he replied quickly, focusing all his energy on building the school. Over the next several minutes he said nothing, but suddenly he asked,

"Hey Tilly?"

"_Yes_, Nik?" Her voice was gentle but slightly mirthful.

"Will you marry me?" Nik looked up pleadingly with those round, blue eyes of his, at it was all Terra Li could do not to laugh... or cry. Evening her voice, she replied,

"No, I'm afraid not."

"Oh... Why?"

He was disappointed but genuinely curious, too. He loved her. _Lots_. And she had told him she loved him plenty of times, too. She even had promised she'd visit him when he went back home with Mummy and Daddy. So then why couldn't she marry him? Isn't that what people did when they loved each other?

"Nik, I'm too old for you. You're like my little brother. But I know that somewhere out there is the girl of your dreams. You just have to wait until it's time."

"When will _that_ be?"

"I don't know. But I do know that it'll be just right."

Nodding solemnly, he replied, "Okay," before going back to playing.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, a short distance away Lestrade and Amélie watched the pair playing with blocks. They smiled upon hearing Nik's request.<p>

"Did he just ask Tilly to _marry_ him?" the D.I. asked with a chuckle. His sister nodded.

"He just adores her... and it's no wonder. She's always so patient and loving with him, like the sister he's always wanted."

'_Like the daughter I almost had,' _Lestrade thought. His face fell for a second, and though his smile returned just as quickly, he couldn't fool the woman beside him. As if reading his mind, she murmured,

"She was a wonderful woman, Jenny was."

"She was."

Amélie paused. Her brother had been through so much in his life, but she hadn't been stand there beside him when he needed her most. Despite that, he still came running the instant he knew something was wrong in her life. It wasn't right. Yes, she hadn't been able to help him because of circumstances she couldn't control, but surely she could have found a way...

"It's not your fault, you know," they said at once. The pair stared at each other for a moment before chuckling sadly. Lestrade pulled his sister close and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you, Amélie."

"I love you, too, Greg." A few moments later, she pulled away and asked, "What do you think of Tilly spending New Year's Eve with us?"

"_Us_?"

Amélie laughed at his genuinely confused expression. "Yes, _us_. You _do_ remember that Vladimir and I live with you, don't you?"

"Oh, yes, _well_..." to be honest, he almost had forgotten, as they were never in the house when he was (though he was rarely ever home nowadays). He coughed and replied, "If Tilly would like to, I don't see why not, seeing as her father's gone. But what about her friend?"

"_Pandora_? Oh, she's got some family that she's 'obligated' to visit. She told me that she's willing to bring Tilly with her but figured she'd have more fun staying home with us. Plus Tilly isn't one for travel."

"Since when have you and Pandora been talking?"

"Since Tilly introduced us last month. She's very... _fascinating_. Has a good sense of humour, too. If she didn't have to leave, I'd invite her over for Christmas, too."

Lestrade laughed, glimpsing said woman trying to help Maggie and Evan configure a contraption beyond explanation. The black-haired female kept biting her lip, probably to keep from spouting profanities, the D.I. guessed.

Vladimir approached the two with his son riding his shoulders. "So, what are you two conspiring?"

"What does 'con-con-'"

"Conspiring?"

"Yeah! That one!"

"It means planning something, usually not good," his mother answered. Nik's nose wrinkled.

"But Mummy and Uncle wouldn't make bad plans!"

"It was a joke," Vladimir chuckled, ruffling his boy's thin hair. Nik nodded in understanding. Terra Li approached the group and announced,

"Sorry to interrupt, but I just wanted to tell you all goodbye before I leave. Pan says bye, too, but..." she looked back to her friend who was trying to disengage herself from the many children climbing all over her, "she's a bit preoccupied at the moment."

Amélie hugged the redhead tightly and whispered,

"Come over on New Year's Eve, won't you?"

Tilly smiled and nodded. She embraced Lestrade, then Vladimir in turn. When she came to Nik, however, he clung to her and refused to let go. Terra Li rocked him back and forth, letting the warmth of her embrace say everything. Pecking him on the cheek, she murmured,

"Be a good boy for me. I'll see you soon, 'kay?"

"Mmhmm..." he mumbled, nodding obediently. His eyes began to flutter, and with a smile Terra Li passed him back to his father. Kissing Nik on the forehead, she whispered,

"Goodnight, my young prince. Happy Christmas."

)o0o(

I hope y'all got some warm fuzzies from this! :) I've got so many plot bunnies running amok in my mind palace at the moment that I decided to just fling this chapter to the abyss of the internet and hope someone enjoyed it, all the while trying to make sure I don't write myself into a corner. XD Please review! I love to know your feedback! ;D


	9. One Year Later

I was going to save this for chapter ten, but then I realized that

1.) This is pretty much done, while I only have an outline for one conversation next chapter, and 2.) I really just want to publish this XD

Note: this chapter takes place a year after the events described in "Superstitions" (which can be found on bleedingcrimson's account) not after the events in the last chapter. ;D However, you don't need to read it to understand this chapter- in fact, this chapter has spoilers for the other fic, but hopefully y'all don't mind.

As always, I sadly do not own these wonderful characters except Terra Li and Ash. Alin is bleedingcrimson's, and the canon characters are of course ACD's and BBC's.

**Chapter Nine: One Year Later**

_February_

"Come in!" John called. Terra Li did as told, supporting a medium-sized package on one hip as she did so. The doctor said from the kitchen,

"Sherlock's somewhere around here, I think, but don't bother on him coming out. He's been working on who _knows_ what and probably won't be around for a while."

"That's fine."

"You ready for the exam?"

"That's what I've come here to find out," Terra Li replied with a warm smile as she set the box on the table. John looked at her in confusion at seeing the parcel.

"I offered to bring this in myself when I realized the delivery man was headed here," she explained. She chuckled good-naturedly, "What did you order? It's heavy!"

"I- I didn't order anything," John replied, still at a loss. He examined the sender's address and felt his heart sink. Terra Li saw his fallen expression and asked worriedly,

"What's wrong?"

Wordlessly the blond took the item in question and walked over to the couch, placing the box next to him. Not sure what else to do, Terra Li followed him. He pulled out a pocketknife and sliced open the tape. A musty, vaguely flowery scent wafted out, making the redhead sneeze. She was seated in John's normal chair with the package in between them; however, she could not see its contents. The soldier sat and simply stared, steeling himself to actually look inside. Terra Li felt as if she should leave but couldn't bring herself to move. It felt as if the whole world had stopped and awaited with bated breath for John to make his decision.

Finally he closed his eyes, sighed, and reached in.

He grasped something soft, and, with a faint smile on his face, pulled it out. A stuffed bunny lay on his palm. It was slightly larger than his hand and rather flat, worn, and faded from years of what Terra Li guessed to be affection and adventures. The animal was off-white with a pink ribbon nose and blue button eyes. It wore pink overalls with a carrot embroidered on the front pocket.

John stared at it for several moments, emotions he had thought long gone welling up in his eyes like tears. Then, as if still in a dream, he gently set it on his lap and began going through the contents of the box. A stack of colorful, sparkly art pieces done by a child's hand. Some origami cranes. A sheaf of crumpled papers with half-legible scrawls covering each page. A few sketchbooks with edges ragged with use. And finally a scrapbook album with a sepia photo inserted in the cover.

The blond carefully set all the items except the bunny and the photo album back in the box. Acknowledging his guest's presence for the first time, he apologized,

"Sorry, Tilly. I didn't mean to space out on you. It's just..." He heaved another sigh. "I haven't seen this stuff in a while, and... I..."

"I can leave if you like," Terra Li offered, but the doctor shook his head.

"No, please, stay. I think you might enjoy them. At least, more than Sherlock will. Here," he said, patting the space next to him. She moved to the couch and looked on curiously.

Now that she could see it better, she realized there were three children on the cover. On the right stood a girl with short, blonde hair and looked to be seventeen. The middle figure, who was probably fourteen, also had short blond hair as well as a puppy dog smile. _John,_ Terra Li realized. The girl on the left was brunette and younger than the other two by several years. She had her arms wrapped around John's neck and grinned happily at the camera.

"Yes, that squirt in the middle is me," John admitted with a chuckle. Pointing first to the other blonde, then brunette, he said, "That's my sister Harry, and _that_... that's my god-sister Ash."

His voice caught as he said the name. Terra Li knew the sound, and her heart broke for John. Hoping she wasn't being too callous, she asked,

"When did she...?"

"Last February." He glanced at the calendar and drew a hand over his face when he spied today's date circled in black like a mourning wreath around a headstone. "God, has it really been a year already?"

He stared ahead for several more moments before coming back to reality once more. Trying to wave it off, he chuckled,

"Sorry about that."

"John, it's fine. Do you want to keep going?"

"I will, but let me make a call first. There's someone else who needs to see this."

Watson walked into the other room, and fifteen minutes passed before he came back in. Taking his seat next to her, he said,

"You're free to stay however long you want. If you decide to remain here, however, let me get you up to speed." He took a breath to steady himself.

"As I told you earlier, Ash is _-was-_ my god-sister. My family adopted her because her mother had mental problems, and her father couldn't care for both of them. Ash, too, had her difficulties, but they were more along the lines of Asberger's, and as a result she bonded to me and almost no one else until I had to leave for Afghanistan.

"Fast forward some years... Ash and her flatmate, Alin, insisted on helping Sherlock and me during what was technically my second case with him, the write-up of which I never published and is generally unspoken of. It was a grisly series of crimes, resulting in the Ash and Alin's house being burnt down and several women murdered... Ash was the last of them. Even though I was there, I wasn't able to save her. The one person I strove all my life to protect died right in front of me, and there wasn't a single damned thing I could do to stop it!"

John banged his fist on the side of the couch, releasing pent-up anger he hadn't even realized was there. He breathed slowly, trying to calm himself. This wasn't the time to throw a fit. That could wait until he was alone. Right now he had a guest, a young lady at that. It would be rude to lose control like that in front of her.

Terra Li laid what she hoped was a comforting hand on his shoulder and willed him to feel... Well, she honestly didn't know what. _Something _that would ease his pain, she supposed.

A soft knock alerted them that their visitor had arrived. John slowly got up _-he looks like he's aged ten years-_ and answered the door. He and his visitor, a tall, dark-haired woman that she recognized as owning Belladonna's Brews, walked toward the kitchen. While they were out of sight, Terra Li made a few quick texts. In little over half an hour, another rap sounded from the door. Perplexed, John went to the entrance again and opened it to see Lestrade and Mrs. Hudson. The former held a few bags of Chinese takeaway, and latter carried a few trays of goodies. Flabbergasted, the blond cried,

"What are you doing here?"

"We heard you were a bit down, dear," Mrs. Hudson said, handing the tray to John and patting his cheek affectionately. "Not surprising, considering what day it is. You poor, poor thing. Such a shame- she was a sweet girl... Tilly suggested we have a little party to remember all the great times we had with her. No one should mourn alone. She wouldn't have liked that anyway, now would she? No, Deary, she would've wanted us all here together."

"You're right," John conceded. Then it hit him. "Wait- did you say _Tilly_ planned this?"

"Sorry, John. I should've asked first, but I chickened out."

"No, it's... fine."

"You sure?" Lestrade asked, studying John with concern. The soldier gave him a sad smile.

"Mrs. Hudson's right. Ash wouldn't have wanted me moping around alone. That was her thing, not mine. No, she'd want a big sap-fest full of nostalgia and sentiment. She was rather fond of those despite her protests."

Alin nodded her agreement, a wan, nostalgic smile on her face. She wasn't fond of such things herself, but John had called her over, and she suspected it was at least partly because he couldn't bear to go through that photo album without at least one other person who knew Ash, and no one else besides John had known Ash as well as Alin had. The dark-haired woman mentally prepared herself for the emotional strain as she arranged the food and drinks on a fold up table (most of which Lestrade had fetched from Mrs. Hudson's flat, the rest of which Sherlock of all people had brought home after his trips to _who-knows where _and were left generally untouched).

Now that everything had been prepared, they gathered around John as he took up the scrapbook again. Alin recognized the photo on the cover- it was among the possessions they had lost when their house burned down. She smiled as the blond flipped through the album. Ash didn't keep many remnants from her childhood; while she had many fond memories of growing up, she had preferred not to dwell on that time if she could help it.

John, too, smiled as he reminisced. Photos of the countryside, wide and free. The lake where they used to race each other. The grassy hills they used to roll down. Then came the adoption. Ash and John decorating her new bedroom. Ash and John building forts on the stairs. Ash and John making shadow puppets. Ash and John at the museum- and the park, and school, and just about everywhere else.

It was if he was seeing her grow up right before his eyes all over again. A sob caught in his throat as he saw a photo of her riding on his back, one arm looped around his chest, one raised in the air in exultation. Just a few days after it had been taken, his parents had died.

As John flipped through the pages, he and Alin shared stories about living with Ash. Alin told them about the first time Ash had helped in Belladonna's Brews. She had misread the recipe and put in 2 cups of salt instead of 2 teaspoons of flour. She had not been allowed into the kitchen since.

Watson recounted about how one time, a bully from Ash's school had slipped on the ice while skating and split his chin open. She had bent over and looked in the gaping, bloody mess and shouted enthusiastically, "Look! His Adam's apple's moving!" The story had seemed to faintly amuse Sherlock, but he quickly covered any signs of such interest and went back to his "research."

As he watched and listened, Lestrade felt as if everything he had ever thought he knew about dependable, stalwart Watson had been dashed to pieces, revealing not a completely a different man but a more tender, human one- one who wasn't always as strong as he looked or seemed. The DI empathized as he compared the youthfulness in his comrade's face back then with older, more careworn and tired one of today. Life had not always been kind to the army doctor, but there was even now a spark of life in his eyes as John Watson remembered days gone by. Lestrade had thought he would never see the expression on him again after John's beloved god-sister had been murdered. After seeing how vivacious, innocent, and vulnerable Ash was, Lestrade realized with a familiar pang how painful it must have been for Watson to watch the life flow out of her after all he had sacrificed to protect her. He had felt the same way watching Jenny slowly die in his arms. Lestrade renewed his vow to stand by the Army doctor no matter what life, criminals, or even Sherlock threw at them. He was more than just an acquaintance or work partner- Watson was his friend, his comrade in arms. Lestrade hoped that it would remain that way for a long time.

* * *

><p>Later on, after everything was cleaned up, Lestrade and Terra Li bade their goodbyes and exited the flat. The D.I. wasn't going to let her walk home in the dark. Not after all that had happened. Terra Li didn't mind, though. She always enjoyed talking with Lestrade. He was always a great conversationalist. Suddenly a familiar voice called out.<p>

"Tilly! Just a second!"

The pair stopped and turned around. John soon caught up with her and pressed something soft into the redhead's hand. She looked down to see Ash's stuffed bunny. Smiling, John said quietly,

"I want you to have this."

"But- but _John!_"

"Believe me, Tilly; your baby is going to enjoy having this more than I will. If Ash where here, I know she would have given this to you in a heartbeat..."

Terra Li nodded and smiled in thanks. John smiled, too, then turned away, the weight of his sorrow pressing down on him once more. The girl reached out toward him and opened her mouth, but she couldn't find it within herself to stop him. She knew she could do nothing more for the moment. Only time could heal his wounds now.

Lestrade laid a hand on her shoulder, and together they left.

)o0o(

Any questions, suggestions, comments? I have a rough idea of where I want to go with this story, but I'm afraid that I'll end up writing myself into a corner, so the next chapters may seem… odd. XD I'm sorry if that does. If you have any ideas or things you're curious about, please let me know. I'd love to hear some feedback about where you think this story will/should go (or if you think this is horrible and to just abandon it, though hopefully no one says that XD).

Thanks, everyone! :D


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